a record of the life and times here at the phillips pottery in abilene, texas.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

#408.

This is my 408th post in just over four and a half years of posting on this blog. I have to say that it's been quite the introspective journey. I've been fortunate to make a large number of friends and acquaintences in that four and a half years that I surely would not have met otherwise. Getting into the blogging game early also opened up a lot of doors to new opportunities. I am grateful to my friends and readers for their notes of reassurance and at times criticism. As a result I think that I've grown much farther than I would have on my own. Most of you may have noticed that my frequency of posting this last year has dwindled and unfortunately from here on out it may slow to a trickle. I've had a lot happen in this past season, some good, some bad but the truth is that I am now just too busy and something has to give. I don't intend to pull a Kent Harris and wholly abandon the blogosphere. This may vex some of you deeply but I will continue to be on facebook where you can have a small glimpse into what is going on here as well as delving deeper into some more personal issues such as my love affair with a local burrito joint. At this point in time I'm going to have to opt for quicker and easier but I promise to find my way back here from time to time. I'll leave you with a few more pots from the last firings.

17 comments:

Well, have fun over there on Spacebook, sorry I won't be joining in the fun :( I'm also sorry to see so many great potters giving up on their blogs.I've learned a lot from your blog and love seeing your work here. I don't enjoy the other place, so I'll miss your posts.....Your recent firing was fantastic, by the way!!

I don't always comment, but I do always read, Brandon. I'll miss seeing the new pots. I admire your work. I'm on Facebook, but only look at it rarely. There's waaaayyyy too much to deal with there, frankly. For me, individual blogs allow me to pay attention to that person's thoughts and work. Facebook doesn't work that way for me. So, regrets, but I hope it works out for you. Hope you still show us pots now and then.

I'm not abandoning the blog for facebook...it's just that for the time being I won't be able to give the blog its due attention. Rest assured that I will continue to post photos here and if I have the time to pen a thought more than a few sentences it will find its way here as well.

I appreciate your comments and agree with most criticism of facebook but it does allow me the ease of posting a quick thought or photo that I will never have the time to flesh out into a full blog post. I could do that here but I feel the blog format(and my readers) demands more than that.

Clay has to come first and as a modern potter and a teacher I spend too much time in front of the computer as it is. But I will continue to keep up with everyone elses blogs. I don't think I could ever give that up.

I honestly think that's what's wrong with the whole world! No one takes TIME to put thoughts together, they just put together a "quick thought". I sent an email to the local TV news last night complaining because of their horrible coverage of this fracking issue that NC may face, and their reply to me was "we just don't have TIME to do an in depth report!So let's all drink Benzine and grow two heads!!! It's a shame so many bloggers don't feel they have time for their blog, where they posted thoughtful and sometimes educational posts, but on Facebook it's a quick, "hi I like you", and it's just so boring and trivial. Why even bother? Sorry for the rant, I should probably take it over to my blog, but I am so disappointed that artists of all people are following the crowd and doing Facebook because everyone's doing it. I totally agree with Hollis, please don't give up the blog! At least post pics of your beautiful work, pleeeezzzze :)

The problem is HAVING the time. Between teaching, grad school and various other tasks it has become a rare luxury these days to actually get to make pots. If I have time to sit down and think...fuck the blog, I'm making pots. I enjoy blogging, I love making pots. Pots will win every time.

I have a love/hate relationship with facebook but if I'm honest with myself...if I were to look at this purely from a marketing perspective(which is not fair, but...), facebook gives me a much larger audience as well as allows me to network in a way that's probably not even possible via the blog. So if I have to temporarily choose one over the other....

I will continue to post photos. And who knows...maybe I'll find a way to MAKE time now and again for some content. I'm not leaving but I'm really trying to assuage my guilt for not posting.

I think a lot of us are working to assuage our guilt for not posting as much as we would like. Photo's are quick and easy, you can lay them on thick and heavy without any apologies.It's been taking me a bit by surprise too, as we get older, time really does become an amazingly valuable commodity, eh?

I have enjoyed your blog for a couple of years now, and your dedication to clay and the ideas contained within its use are a model for me. YOu will be missed.Alas, I am with Tracey and will not follow you to the vast intellectual wasteland that is Facebook. I guess I will have to content myself with reading Traceys posts, which are always motivating and thought provoking.Good luck teaching, learning, potting.

It's unfortunate that you can't do the full whammy and go for the delete. Scott Roberts is making an attempt at abondonment going on 6 months with out a post, I think he must have gotten some solid blogging advice from Kent Harris.

oh i'm liking the crackling and layering on the green cups is that a slip? under your ash glaze... I too have picked up a lot from your space here brandon and always look forward to a kiln unloading :)) happy teaching and making pots man!!!